Western Music Teacher Resources

Young musicians explore the rhythms and sounds of Balinese gamelan music, then create their own. They listen to several examples of gamelan music, then use their instruments to mimic the rhythms they hear. After a warm up and practice,...

Trey from Phish and Dave from the Dave Mathews Band took a trip to Africa to explore music, culture, and history. Your class watches this episode from VH1's Music Studio to understand how African culture and music have influenced modern...

Gary the ghost giggles when he gulps. Ah, the letter G. Show this silly and entertaining video to beginning readers learning the alphabet. The western music engages all who view it and you won't be able to help but stomp your feet and...

Upper graders having skills in music performance will extend their abilities through creative musical composition. They'll use Finale 2000 to explore facets of music composition, they'll then compose a piece for their instrument in C, F,...

Take a look into the many facets, purposes, and styles of Native American music. Each slide in this well-organized presentation provides clear introductory information on the forms and functions of American tribal music. Use it to...

The school band or orchestra analyzes their own performance after exploring musical terminology. They listen to a classical piece and describe it using only words. They look up musical terminology and then use those words to compare and...

Ten online questions are provided in this quiz on the book, All Quiet on the Western Front. While the questions are good and intended to check reading comprehension this site has quite a few unrelated ads. 

Why does music rely so heavily on repetition? This is an interesting video from which to explore not only the psychological answers to this question, but also the ways in which humans perceive and rate different types of music.

Students create a poem on the subject of war. In this All Quiet on the Western Front activity, students create poetry using phrases or lines that they brainstorm during a pre-writing session. Students enhance their poetry with sensory...

Students study the role of the flute in Native American music while determining what an exemplary example of flute music sounds like. They develop a method of assessing a Native American flute performance. They perform a Native American...

In this African music worksheet, students read about how family life, community music, and rhythms are part of the culture and music of Africa.

Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms.  In this music history lesson plan, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present.  Students research different aspects of the...

Students investigate the history of country music. They explore various websites, identify the different types of country music, read about members of the Country Music Hall of Fame on their official website, and answer discussion...

In this music worksheet, students will read about the 3 main parts of Indian music, complete 5 short answer questions about those parts, and read descriptions of 4 common Indian instruments.

In this Indian music activity, 7th graders examine a graphic organizer that displays the three parts of the music. They read about the Tala, Raga, and Drone before answering 5 short answer questions based on the reading.

In this African music learning exercise, learners read about the kora and the xylophone which are types of pitched instruments. A glossary is included in the 2 page article.

Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...

Students explore the music from Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Pygmy cultures. They listen to and discuss music from the African cultures, analyze the musical elements, write a song, and perform music.

Students explore the music of Steve Reich. In this global music lesson, students compare the music compositions of Steve Reich to African and Balinese music. Students discuss their personal comparisons.

In this music learning exercise, students investigate the history of music and the musical style of the Caribbean islands. Students read a 1 page information sheet about the region and its music. Students answer 8 questions.

In this musical modes worksheet, students review the modes in melodic compositions. They review a chart of the authentic and plagal modes. They review a melody using the information that is given about the notes that are used. There are...

Students explore music therapy. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Music Strikes a Soothing Cord", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based on the...

In this science and music worksheet, students answer multiple choice questions about how science and music are related through the brain and animals. Students complete 4 questions.

Students identify many genres of music and connect styles of music with various cultures. They watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and list music styles: folk, jazz, rock, etc.